Braiding-machine.



No. 64l,880. Patented Jan. 23, 1900. T. K. UBER.

BRAIDING MACHINE.

(Applicnfion filed Mar. 3, 1899.) (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet l.

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N0. 64|,880. Patented Jan. 23, I900. T. K. OBER.

BRAIDING MACHINE.

(Application filed. Mar. 3, 1899.)

4 Sheets- Shunt 2.

(No Model.)

INVENTOR 'JJAJMAM M No. 64|,880'. Patented Jan. 23, I900. T. K. DBER.

BBAIDING MACHINE.

(Application filed Mar. 3, 1899.)

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-$heat 3.

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Nb. 64!,880. Patented Jan. 23, I900. T. K. OBEB.

BRAIDING MACHINE.

(Application filed Mar. 8, 1899.)

4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES- PATENT 1 Furor.

THoMAsK. OBER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

BRAlDlNG-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Iatent No. 641,880, dated January23, 1900.

Application filed March 3 1899. 381%! NO- '7 '71 '7 (N0 modem To aZZwhom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS K- OBER, residing in the city ofPhiladelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Braiding-Machines,

of which the following is a specification.

This invention is more particularly. an improved machine for plaitingthreads drawn from bobbins revolving in opposite directions in whichspecial mechanisms are employed for operating the bobbin-carriers forone set of threads and for guiding the other set of threads alternatelyabove and below the'said bobbin-carriers in the serpentine coursesrequired for plaiting. or braiding.

The primary objects of the improvements are to obtain increased speed,to reduce wear, to avoid irregular action, to simplify the constructionof the bobbin-carrying mechanism, and toimprove the thread-guidingmech-' anism.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machineembodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3 isa central sectional elevation illustrating the improvement. Fig. 4 is asectional view, in front elevation, of the raceway, carrier, andcarrier-operating mechanism. Fig. 5 is a sectional view at right anglesto that shown in Fig. 4, illustrating the raceway, carrier, andcarrier-operating mechanism. Fig. 6 is a sectional view, in frontelevation, of a modified form of carrier-operating mechanism.

As illustrated in the drawings, the base 1, the standards 2, and thecross-bar 3 form a suitable frame for the mechanism. 7 This frameworksupports a cylindrical casing 4, which is separated into two sections onthe line of the compound curve 5. Its upper section is supported by thestandards 2 and its lower section by the spider 6 and the fixed column7, the spider being secured to the column and the column to the base.

A revoluble shaft 8, journaled in bearings 9 and 10, has a bevelgear-wheel 11 fixed on its inner end. The gear-wheel 11 engages with abevel gear-wheel 12, fixed on the lower end of a revoluble hollow shaft13, which is journaled within the hollow column 7, and

with a bevel gear-wheel 14, fixed on the lower end of a revoluble hollowshaft 15, which is journaled upon the column 7.

I A revoluble spider 16 is fixed upon the up per end of the shaft 13,the spider supporting hangers 17 for the shafts 18, which are journaledtherein. The inner end of each shaft 18 has fixed thereon agear-wheel19, which is engaged by a circular gear-track 20, fixed uponthe stationary spider 6. The outer end of each shaft 18 has fixedthereon a crank 21, whose pin 22 reciprocates within a yoke 23 on thelower end of areciprocating pin 24. It will be understood thatmechanical variations in the form of the eccentric connection and of theoperating mechanism for the same may be made.

Each pin 24 reciprocates through a guideway 25 in the spider 16, andthus alternately engages and disengages with a corresponding aperture 26in a carrier 27. The pins 24 and their respective operating mechanismsare arranged in pairs, so that while one is rising to engage thecorresponding carrier the other is falling to disengage with thecarrier, the arrangementbeing such that each carrier is always engagedby one of its two reciprocating pins.

As illustrated in Fig. 6, the respective pairs of pins 24 may bereciprocated by rocking levers 24, pivoted to said pins andto a hanger25. This lever may be rocked by the engagement of its yoke 23 with thepin 22 of the crank 21, the crank being operated by the gear heretoforedescribed.

. The carriers 27 are mounted upon a circular sectional raceway 28,supported by the easing 4 intermediate of the highest and lowest pointsof the serpentine aperture 5, which di vides the raceway into sectionslocated alternately above the lowest and below the highest points of thecompound curve for the passage of the threads from the lower bobbins 44.Each of the series of bobbins 29 is journaled between the arms 30 of itscarrier and supplies threads through the tension device 31 to theplaiting-point 32. This special form of raceway and bobbin-carrier areof wellknown construction.

A revoluble spider 33 is fixed upon the upper end of the journaled shaft15, the spider supporting the hangers 34 for the shafts 35, which are journaled therein. The inner end of each shaft 35 has fixed thereon agearwheel 36, which engages with a circular geartrack 37, fixed to thestationary spider 6. The outer end of each shaft 35 has fixed thereon acrank 38, whose pin 39 reciprocates within a yoke 40 of a thread-guide41. Each threadguide 41 reciprocates in a guideway 42, supported by anextension of an arm 43, which is carried by the revoluble gear-wheel 14.Each of the series of bobbins 44 is journaled between the spider33 andthe corresponding arm 43 and supplies thread through its threadguide 41,through the serpentine aperture 5, to the plaiting-point 32. Thecharacter of the eccentric and its operating mechanism for thethread-guides may be varied in mechanical details.

In the operation of the machine the revolution of the shaft 8 and thegear-wheel 11, fixed thereon, revolves the gear-wheels 12 and 14 inopposite directions, thus revolvingin opposite directions the spiders 16and 33, connected with the respective gear-wheels 12 and 14 by therevoluble shafts 13 and 15. The revolution of the spider 16 carries thegear-wheels 19 around the gear-track 20, thus revolving the shafts 18and cranks 21 and reciprocating in opposite directions the pins 24 ofeach pair, so that each carrier 27 is always engaged by one of its pinsand moved along the raceway 28 in unison with the revolution of thespider 16. The revolution of the spider 33 carries the gear-wheels 36around the gear-track 37, thus revolving the shafts 35 and cranks 38 andreciprocating the thread-guides 41, the reciprocations of the guidesbeing timed so that their upper ends rise and fall in a path parallel tothe serpentine aperture 5 of compound curve. The opposite reciprocationsof the pins 24 are timed so that they are drawn down alternately to passthe thread from the lower bobbins 44 when these threads are being movedbeneath the carriers by their guides. It will be observed that therespective threads from the lower series of revolving bobbins are fedfrom their guides at the elevations required for passing alternatelyabove and below the oppositely-revolving carriers and bobbins, causingthe two sets of threads passing to the plaiting-point to be interlaced,drawing threads from the bobbins at the uniform rates required withoutdragging them or requiring take-up devices, as in machines heretoforeemployed.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. In a braiding-machine, astationary geartrack, a gear-wheel revolved by said geartrack, areciprocating pin, a carrier arranged to be engaged by said pin andeccentric mechanism operated by said gear-wheel for reciprocating saidpin, in combination with a revoluble spider which carries saidmechanism, through which said pin rcciprocates, substantially asspecified.

2. In a braiding-machine, a fixed circular gear-track, a journaledgear-wheel revoluble upon said track, a reciprocating pin revoluble withsaid gear-wheel, mechanism operated by said gear-wheel for reciprocatingsaid pin, and a movable carrier alternately engaged and disengaged bysaid pin,substantially as specified.

3. In a braiding-machine, a fixed circular gear-track, a pair ofjournaled gear-wheels revoluble upon said track, a pair of reciprocatingpins revoluble with said gear-wheels, eccentric mechanisms connectingsaid gearwheels with said pins whereby said pins are reciprocatedoppositely, and a movable carrier alternately engaged and disengaged byeach of said pins, substantially as specified.

4. Inabraiding-machine,ajournaledshaft, aspider fixed thereon, a journaled gear-wheel supported by said spider, a fixed circular geartrackupon which said gear-wheel revolves, a movable carrier, a pair ofoppositely-reciprocati ng pins for operating said carrier, mechanismoperated by said gear-wheel for reciprocating one of said pins, andmeans for effecting the op posite reciprocation of the other of saidpins, substantially as specified.

5. In abraiding-machine, a stationary geartrack, a gear-wheel revolvedby said geartrack,a reciprocating thread-guide,and mechanism operated bysaid gear-wheel for reciprocating said thread-guide, in combination witha revoluble spider which carries the aforesaid mechanism, and a bobbincarried by said spindle, substantially as specified.

6. In a braiding-machine, a fixed circular gear-track, a journaledgear-wheel revoluble upon said gear-track, a reciprocating threadguide,ways for controlling the movements of said thread-guide, and mechanismoperated by said gear wheel for reciprocating said thread-guide,substantially as specified.

7. In a braiding-machine, a sectional raceway, a bobbin-carrier movablethereon, a revoluble spider, a pair of alternately-reciprocating pinspassing through said spider and engaging with said carrier, a yoke ineach of said pins, a crank-and-pin connection for each of said yokes, ashaft for revolving each of said cranks, and means for revolving saidshafts, substantially as specified.

8. In a braiding-machine, a fixed circular geautrack, a revoluble frame,a series of gearwheels journaled in said frame and revoluble upon saidgear-track, aseries of pins arranged in pairs passing through saidframe, mechanism connecting said gear-whecls with said pins forreciprocating said pins, a series of movable bobbin-carriers eachoperated by a pair of said pins, a sectional raceway for saidbobbin-carriers, in combination with a second fixed circular gear-track,a second revoluble frame, a second series of gear-wheels jour- IIOnaledin said second frame and revoluble upon In testimony whereof I havehereunto afsaid second gear-track, a series of reciprocatfixed mysignature in the presence of the sub ing thread-guides, mechanismoperated by scribing Witnesses.

each of said second series of gear-wheels for THOMAS K. OBER. 5reciprocating each of said thread-guides, and Witnesses:

mechanism for revolving said frames in oppo- THOMAS S. GATES,

site directions, substantially as specified. P. H. GRANGER.

